Olympic Games Athens 1896

1. ATHENS 1896

2. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OLIMPIC GAMES IN ATHENS 1896

3. OLIMPIC GAMES: ATHENS 1896 The  1896 Summer Olympics , officially known as the   Games of the I Olympiad , was a multi-sport event  held in  Athens , Greece, from April 6 to 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the  Modern era .

4. THE STADIUM AND THE BEST COMPETITORS IN THE GAMES 1896 Olympics Games were regarded as a great success. They were celebrated in the   Panathinaiko Stadium , the only Olympic stadium used in the 1800s .  The highlight for the Greeks was the  marathon  victory by their compatriot  Spyridon Louis . The most successful competitor was a German   gymnast   Carl Schuhmann , who won four events.

5. THE OPENING CEREMONY On April the 6 th the games of the First Olympiad were officially opened.  The Panathinaiko Stadium was filled with about 80,000 spectators, including King  George I of Greece , his wife  Olga , and their sons. Most of the competing athletes were aligned on the infield, grouped by nation. After a speech by the president of the organizing committee, Crown Prince Constantine, his father officially opened the Games with this sentence: "I declare the opening of the first international Olympic Games in Athens. Long live the Nation. Long live the Greek people."

6. THE OPENING CEREMONY IN ATHENS

7. DIFFERENT EVENTS Athletics Cycling Fencing Gymnastics Shooting Swimming Tennis Weighlifting Wrestling

8. CYCLING GYMNASTICS

9. THE CLOSING CEREMONY On the morning of Sunday April 12, King George organized a banquet for officials and athletes. During his speech, he made clear that, as far as he was concerned, the Olympics should be held in Athens permanently. The official closing ceremony was held on Wednesday the 15 th . Afterwards, the king awarded prizes to the winners. The King then formally announced that the first Olympiad was at an end, and left the Stadium, while the band played the Greek national hymn and the crowd cheered.

10. PARTICIPATING NATIONS AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA BULGARIA CHILE DENMARK FRANCE GERMANY GREAT BRITAIN GREECE

11. PARTICIPATING NATIONS HUNGARY SWEDEN ITALY SWITZERLAND UNITED STATES

12. MEDAL COUNT Ten of the 14 participating nations earned medals, in addition to three medals won by  mixed teams . During these inaugural Olympics, winners were given a silver medal, an  olive  branch, and a diploma, while runners-up received a copper medal,  laurel  branch, and diploma. The IOC has retroactively assigned gold, silver and bronze medals to the three best placed athletes in each event to comport with more recent traditions.

13. FEMALE COMPETITORS Women were not allowed to compete at the 1896 Summer Olympics. However, one woman,  Stamata Revithi , ran the marathon course on April 11, the day after the men had run the official race. Although she was not allowed to enter the stadium at the end of her race, Revithi finished the marathon in about five hours and 30 minutes.

14. And that’s all about the Olimpic Games in Athens – 1896. Thank you for your attention !!